A Night at the Bar
by 4321abcd
Summary: Clara requests a relaxing night, so the Doctor takes her out to have a drink at a bar with an old friend. Things don't turn out as exactly as she expected, but she is not complaining.
1. Chapter 1

After hours spent running for their lives in yet another civilization the Doctor had managed to offend, Clara and the Doctor finally made it back safe and sound to the TARDIS without exactly making amends with the Queen. The Doctor as per usual was not phased, and he bounded over to the console with his hands gleefully flying all over the controls.

"So where to now Clara! Ice caps of Shandoa? New Barcelona? I know this planet with—"

"Doctor, we've been going non-stop for quite a while. Don't get me wrong, I love it, I really do, but could we just go out somewhere fun tonight?"

"Fun? Of course! Who do you take me to be? So like I said, ice caps of Shandoa, new—"

"No Doctor, I mean the relaxing, casual, non-adrenaline-inducing, not-running-for-our-lives type of fun."

"Ah, I see. You know Clara, there are quite a few choice ways to induce adrenaline without running." Normally Clara would not have questioned a statement like this coming from the Doctor, assuming he meant some strange alien custom she was much more comfortable not being familiar with. In this instance, however, the intense look the Doctor directed at her that accompanied the statement made her heart beat a little bit faster.

Before she had time to fully analyze it, the Doctor continued. "Well anyway, I suppose I do owe an old friend of mine a drink or two. Go put on something nice, I'm taking you to one of the classiest drinking establishments in your galaxy."

This is how Clara found herself in a booth sitting across from a surreally gorgeous American man, a small group of aliens whose species she had embarrassingly forgotten the names of, and next to the Doctor who had his hand placed dangerously high on her thigh.

The second the Doctor had suggested a fancy bar, Clara had squealed in delight and sprinted off into her room to put on a dress that she had been saving for a special occasion. The dress was elegant, but fitted enough to show off her figure (after all, running for your life did have its perks).

This perfect dress was reminiscent of the outfit she wore on the Orient Express. The night the Doctor was speechless when she asked if her outfit would fit in nicely on the train. The night she could have sworn he was going to kiss her. Man, did she crave that reaction again.

The dress had a low cut back with a sleek neckline attached to silk threads from the otherwise strapless front. Her favorite part was the long slit up the right side. Her friend had to attend a wedding soon, and she had forced Clara to go dress shopping with her. When she tried it on out of sheer boredom, her friend's jaw had gone agape and she proceeded to demand she purchase it, insisting "it will drive any man wild".

As Clara strolled back into the console room, she was happy to report her friend had not been mistaken. The Doctor turned to look as he heard her approach, and she watched his jaw go slack. She cheekily asked him how she looked, but all he could afford was a stuttering response of "You'll do."

As the Doctor led Clara through the bar (his hand guiding her ever so slightly on her lower back, she happily noted), Clara took in her surroundings. It was an intergalactic bar showcasing an incredible array of species she could not even hope to learn all of the names of. She tried to figure out which of these creatures would be joining her tonight, the Doctor had mentioned a captain of some sort. Maybe they were a sort of out of water sea creature?

Just as Clara was beginning to assess the possibilities, a suspiciously flawless human-looking man stepped in front of her and the Doctor's path.

He grabbed her hand and with alarmingly charming eye contact, started to introduce himself. "Well hello there, I could not help but notice you—"

"Nope! No way. Three steps back Harkness" a particularly grumpy Scottish brogue asserted from behind her.

"Clara, I can't say it is my pleasure to introduce you, but this is an old friend of mine: Captain Jack Harkness. Jack, this is Clara Oswald." The doctor placed a protective arm around Clara as he made the introductions, but Clara could not figure out why the Doctor perceived him as a threat. He did say they were old friends after all, why would this man be a danger to them?

"Ah Doctor, you do find a way to meet spectacularly beautiful young women. Sorry about that earlier, force of habit, I mean, how could I resist? You certainly weren't able to, you can't blame me for trying" Oh. _That_ kind of threat. Not that the Doctor would even notice…

"Oh but Jack, you'll find that I can." Clara's eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't mean…

"I get it Doctor, I would be protective as well. Now that I understand the dynamic, can we please get to that drink I was promised oh so long ago?" Jack smirked as he began to lead them to his table.

Clara, meanwhile, was still attempting to understand the "dynamic" Jack assumed between her and the Doctor and why the Doctor had not immediately set him to rights. He had not wasted a second in telling her all those months ago, with "I'm not your boyfriend" perpetually ringing in her ears.

She had not even fully processed everything that had happened until she realized Jack was leading them away and the Doctor was waving him to go ahead as he spun Clara around to face him.

After she was face to face, she could not help but notice that the Doctor had not removed his hands from her hip and shoulder—the two leverage points he had used to spin her. He leaned in close until his lip brushed her ear and began to speak in low tones.

"Clara," she closed her eyes and suppressed a sigh at the way her name seemed to roll off of his tongue. "Jack seems to have presumed we are in a much more…intimate relationship than our current one actually is. I think you'll find I'm not too keen on correcting him. On the contrary, I would love to prove him right tonight. Please, just stop me if I go too far."

Clara could not remember how to breathe. What did _that_ mean? The Doctor seemed to sense her unasked question, or hell, maybe he heard it. He was a touch telepath after all.

His lips were suddenly lower, tracing the line of her jaw, then slowly climbed back to her ear once again. His tongue darted out to trace her earlobe, and then he paused to whisper in an octave rumbling lower than usual, "A preview, if you will".

Then he pulled away, spun her back around, and started to guide her to Jack's table. Even in her daze she could have sworn she saw a smirk on his face. Smug bastard.

She could not wait for the night to continue.

Authors Note: I'm planning on continuing this, and if I do so the rating is subject to change.


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor guided Clara towards Jack's table, hand splayed once again across her lower back. Jack had chosen a dimly lit booth in the corner, and as they arrived Jack gestured for them to sit on the bench across from him.

"The Doctor so rudely cut off my introduction earlier, so I must insist on how lovely it is to meet you Clara Oswald." Jack greeted her as she slid into the far side of the booth.

"Doctor! I must say this new face will take some getting used to. How was it that you changed from my sexy pinstriped friend into this tall commanding silver fox?"

"Well Jack, you actually missed my face before this one. Oh don't get that look on your face, he was horrid, really. Had floppy hair, the look and personality of a child, and topped it all off with a bow tie." The Doctor grimaced as if just remembering caused him pain.

"Oi! Don't go making fun of him. I was quite fond of that bowtie. I think you were so insecure about your eyebrows in that incarnation that you let them outgrow your face in this one!" Clara started to trace his eyebrow, wanting to see how far this new "touching" Doctor would let her go with physical contact.

Not too far, apparently, for after about a second-long sideways glare at Clara the Doctor gently grasped her wrist to remove her hand from his face and set it in her lap. Although initially displeased, Clara quickly changed her mind when the Doctor did not let go. Instead, under the table and out of Jack's line of sight, the Doctor turned Clara's palm over and gently began tracing circles with his thumb.

The pads of his thumbs were calloused, and every circle sent a shockwave through her body. She would have jumped him, right there in the bar, had Jack's voice not reminded her that they were far from alone.

"So you've been around a while then haven't you beautiful! That explains why I missed your last face Doc, you never did like sharing. I can't say I'm not disappointed though—your younger face, do you think I would have had a chance with him? I can think of my fair share of fantasies involving a bowtie. Excellent leverage point, bowties! Also the perfect length for most wrists…"

The Doctor had no verbal response; he instead glowered across the table. His glare only intensified as Clara began to giggle uncontrollably next to him.

The Doctor's grumbles did nothing to deter Jack, and he gleefully continued. "You don't wear anything around your neck now Doctor—easier access I suppose. I guess I'll just have to bring my own rope when—"

"Aren't we here for drinks Jack? Go make yourself useful and grab the first round. On me of course," the Doctor let go of Clara's hand to grab a silver card from his pocket, "I would just like you to occupy yourself with something more useful than dreaming up possibilities with me that will never occur."

"Ah Doctor but that's the charm of the American Dream! Nobody can tell me what to fantasize. Now I'll be back in a few minutes, hypervodkas sound all right to everybody? Please do try to stay clothed while I'm gone. Or don't, up to you, but don't have all the fun without me!" With those parting words and a swipe of the Doctor's card, Jack strolled away from their table.

Clara was not one for awkward silences. She much preferred to fill the emptiness with babble; no matter how mindless it sounded it always felt better than the alternative. Without looking at the Doctor, she stared straight ahead and started to ramble.

"Well! He certainly is…something. Very…something." This was harder than usual. Determined that the burden of noise should not fall solely on her shoulders, she chanced a look at the Doctor and was shocked at the sight in front of her.

"Oh my stars you're _blushing_! You never blush!" The Doctor shot Clara a sideways glare and attempted to wipe off the blush by forcefully dragging his hand down his face. "Actually, properly, red in the face, blushing. Oh it's getting darker! Oh that would be my doing wouldn't it…sorry! Sorry, sorry, I'll shut up now."

The Doctor let out an exasperated sigh and turned to face Clara. "I knew he was bad but I didn't expect him to be quite like this. At least he's focusing his attentions on me rather than you."

"Why would that be so bad? He is quite the charmer. And it would make you all the more jealous." Clara was sick of treading around his walls. He was jealous of Robin Hood, jealous of Danny, and he refused to admit to those. If Jack was what took to get him to admit to anything, Clara was going to go all in.

"I'm not jealous!" The Doctor spluttered. "Jealous of that pretty boy American? In his dreams."

"Oh yeah? Then explain why you kissed me earlier."

"Kiss? Oh, no, Oswald, that was merely an extension of touch."

Clara's spirits plummeted at his words. She looked down, embarrassed that she had been reading everything so wrong all night. She opened her mouth, about to tell him the bar did not sound quite so fun anymore and request he drop her at home, when the Doctor spoke again.

"When I kiss you, you'll know it." Each word was spoken in a smooth low drawl.

Clara's head shot up at his statement, and she found him much closer than when she looked down. "When?" She whispered.

His hand reached out to cup her face. His long fingers rested on her jawline, the tips slowly stroking behind her ear. "Oh yes Clara, that sentence hasn't had an 'if' in it since the day I regenerated."

Clara shivered at his words. The Doctor noticed. "Want me to stop?" He asked, already leaning in.

"Shut up" Clara whispered, unable to think of anything cleverer with her heart pounding in her ears.

"Yes boss." With that, the Doctor captured her lips. He gently sucked her bottom lip between his, eliciting a small sigh that opened her mouth to his. He had waited too long for this. He threaded his free hand in her hair and pulled her closer to him while plunging his tongue into her mouth

Clara did not remember ever moving her hands but as the Doctor showed her what 2000 years of experience felt like her grip on his lapels became white knuckled as she dragged him impossibly closer.

Reality fell away as the kiss took dominance in every single one of their senses. Eyes screwed shut, only able to hear blood rushing in their ears and the soft sounds they were making, lost in the feel of one another, neither of them took notice of the throat clearing behind them.

"Hellooooo friends! I got those drinks we discussed only minutes ago, what have I missed since then? You did manage to keep your clothes on I see. Gosh you'd think the two of you had never kissed before!" Jack radiated glee as he slid in across from them, and he did not take notice of the wary glances Clara and the Doctor shot at each other, or the sheepish one with which the Doctor rewarded Jack.

"I do feel a little left out, you know." Jack said after passing out the drinks. "But I do understand. Get the night started the right way and all that, and boy do I think this will be a fun night."

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I'm enjoying writing this story.


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